This is one of my mom’s best dishes. The Creamy Dijon Sauce compliments the tender, juicy pork perfectly. Pork loins have been on sale a lot lately at the grocery store, so I got the chance to make it for myself this week. Mom usually serves this dish with mashed potatoes – so that we can drizzle some extra dijon sauce on top of them! This leftovers are amazing in a sandwich, too.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Dijon Sauce

1/4 cup Dijonnaise spread
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic, minced or grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Dijonnaise spread
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion seasoning
1/2 cup half-n-half
2 tablespoons more Dijonnaise spread

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the Dijonnaise, the dry mustard, the onion, and the garlic. The mixture should be a bit thick. Set it aside.

In a large dutch oven-style baking dish, measure the olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Generously season the pork loin with salt and pepper on all sides. Using metal tongs, brown the pork in the olive oil until it is nice and caramelized on all sides. At this point, get your dijon mixture and spoon it all over the pork loin, applying it on all sides.

Next, send the whole dish into the oven to roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your cut). Remove the pork from the oven when a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reaches 145 degrees (for medium done-ness). Remove the meat from the dish and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, return the dutch oven to the stove. Add the half and half, deglazing the pan (i.e. scraping the brown bits off the bottom – they hold all the flavor!). Stir in the extra 2 tablespoons of Dijonnaise and warm the sauce to a simmer over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Grilled Salad with Ginger Crostini
Adapted from Rachel Ray

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons ground ginger
6-8 slices crusty white bread
1 pound sweet Italian pork sausages
2 medium sweet onions, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (recommended: Newman’s Own)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and the ground ginger. Brush the ginger mixture generously on the bread slices. Place them on a baking sheet, and bake until toasted and crispy, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a grill, grill pan, or George Foreman, cook the sausages over medium-high heat, turnning as necessary, until browned and crispy on all side, about 15-20 minutes.

Pour the balsamic vinegar over the onion wedges. Grill on both sides over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. The wedges should become soft and slightly charred.

In a large bowl, toss the greens with the balsamic vinaigrette until the greens are lightly coated. Divide the salad into 6-8 portions, topping each with a grilled onion wedge and a ginger crostini. Slice the sausages diagonally and divide the pieces among the salads. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

In the 1920s, the Brown Hotel hosted over a thousand guests each evening for its dinner dance. Guests would dance well into the wee hours of the morning before heading over to the restaurant for a late-night bite. Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new for these guests, and so he created a unique open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce. Thus, the Hot Brown was born!

The Hot Brown is definitely a local delicacy of the Louisville area, and I have enjoyed it there while visiting my best friend from high school, who is a middle-school teacher there, and when I used to go visit my brother, who attended grad school in Louisville. But I have also seen it in other restaurants, such as Martin’s Tavern in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC.

So with our leftover roasted turkey, I decided to try my hand at the original recipe for the Legendary Hot Brown.

The Legendary Hot Brown
From the Brown Hotel

1/2 cup butter
6-8 tablespoons flour
3 – 3 1/2 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste
8-12 thick slices of roasted turkey
8-12 slices of toast
Extra Parmesan
8-12 Strips of Cooked Bacon

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt butter and add enough flour to absorb the butter into a thick sauce. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes. This process cooks the flour so that your sauce doesn’t taste starchy. Slowly add the milk and Parmesan cheese, whisking the mixture to keep it smooth. Add the beaten egg to the mixture, whisking constantly. Turn the heat down to low and allow the mixture to heat and thicken, but don’t allow it to reach a boil. Stirring constantly, continue to cook the mixture for about 8-10 minutes. You will know when it’s ready because it will become the consistency of thin pudding. Remove the sauce from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to broil. Spray a small cooking dish or pie plate for each hot brown with cooking spray. For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast in the bottom of each dish. Next, layer as much turkey as you would like on top of the toast. Finally, pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey and toast. Place each dish under a broiler until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of bacon on top, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

PS: Sorry for the lackluster photos – I had to use my camera phone for this one!

This recipe was inspired by a dip that my sweet mother-in-law made for us before a family dinner get-together last week. It was AMAZING – beware, very addictive. The tangy and stringy Swiss cheese, the creamy and luscious base, the flavorful sautéed onions, and the salty smoked bacon blend together to bring out the best in each flavor and texture.

Cheesy Bacon Onion Dip
adapted from my Mother-In-Law’s recipe

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
8 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces OR 1/2 cup bacon bits (in original recipe)
1/4 cup onion, diced (not in original)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pie dish or other small oven-save dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl blend together cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo until creamy. Stir in 3/4 cup Swiss cheese (about half). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sautée your onions for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat using 1 tablespoon of olive oil or reserved bacon drippings. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Spread this mixture evenly in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.

Next, sprinkle the remaining Swiss cheese over the top of the creamed mixture. Finally, sprinkle the bacon evenly over the top. Season with a little bit of freshly ground pepper on top. At this point, you can cover it and put it in the fridge for up to 5 days or continue and bake it up!

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dip is bubbly and cheese begins to turn golden brown. Serve with crackers or chips.

So I came up with these tasty little treats using some leftovers we had on hand at my mom and dad’s house this week. Mom came up with the name. These sandwiches were a great, hearty dinner.

Fireman Fontina Smokey Sandwiches

4 hamburger or sandwich buns
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 thick slices of roasted pork tenderloin or smoked ham
8 tablespoons of your favorite smoky barbecue sauce
4 large slices of fontina cheese

Preheat your oven to broil. Butter the insides of your buns and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place buns face-up on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Place under the broiler just until the edges of the buns begin to brown – about 2-3 minutes – and then remove.

In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and add sliced onions. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

On one side of each sandwich, place a slice of pork. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce on each slice. On the opposite side of each sandwich, heap equal portions of the caramelized onions. Top the onions with a slice of fontina cheese.

Return the cookie sheet with the sandwiches to the broiler. Bake until cheese melts and barbecue sauce bubbles, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and assemble the sandwiches. Serve hot with your favorite veggies or sides!